S5 E1: #Tech4Rights: Celebrating 10 Years of the Model Law on Access to Information in Africa: Part 3

<p>In conversation with Mr Maxwell Agbudume Kadiri</p> <p style="text-align:justify;">On 12 June 2023, the Centre for Human Rights <a href='https://www.chr.up.ac.za/podcast'>Africa Rights Talk Podcast</a> featured Mr. Maxwell Kadiri, a human rights advocate and access to information and freedom of expression expert from the Open Society Justice Initiative, under the Open Society Foundations. This podcast is part of the Centre’s commemoration of the 10 Years of the <a href='https://www.chr.up.ac.za/images/researchunits/dgdr/documents/resources/model_law_on_ati_in_africa/model_law_on_access_to_infomation_en.pdf'>Model Law on Access to Information for Africa</a>. The session was moderated by Smith Edumebong, Idirashe Amanda Chikomba, and Chrispin Bosire, from the <a href='https://www.chr.up.ac.za/expression-information-and-digital-rights'>Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit</a> in the 2023 Human Rights <a href='https://www.chr.up.ac.za/expression-information-and-digital-rights-unit-human-rights-clinic'>Clinic</a>. </p> <p style="text-align:justify;">On access to information and democracy, Maxwell pointed out that if a government is defined by the protection of its citizens' right to participate. The right to participate in intrinsically linked to access to information and freedom of expression. He highlighted that access to information is important, relevant, critical, and central to the practice of democracy in Nigeria. It enables accountability for public information because it belongs to the people. With reference to Nigeria, he acknowledged that there were some developments, but a lot has not been done, like updating the guidelines to conform with the model law. Civil society has come on board to push for engagements to ensure compliance and implementation of legislation. However, the government is not actively supporting the implementation of access to information in Nigeria. </p> <p style="text-align:justify;">Despite the progress being made in adopting access to information laws across Africa, th